The Art of Falling Down

This is a great article for baby boomers. I’m a klutz, and have fallen down more times than I care to count. My most recent spill was while on vacation. I was taking a photo and fell backwards over a curb. Thank goodness some bushes broke my fall.

I am currently recovering from knee replacement surgery. It’s winter here in Wisconsin and I’m deathly afraid of taking another tumble while trying to walk with a cane.

Fortunately for me, I do know how to fall. When I was a kid, I was always fighting with my two older brothers. They use to chase me around the house, and outside I would always be tripping on something. I learned how to tuck and roll. I never really got hurt except for a few scrapes here and there.

Just last week we had our first snowfall, and my car windows were ice covered. I worked late and had to scrape my car off. The parking lot was empty, and I was thinking “crappity crap crap, if I fall down, who is going to help me?”

As you get older though, falling down is no joke. I am forever looking down when I walk. It’s really important to watch where you are going when traveling in a foreign country. I have found out the hard way that other countries do not have the same construction standards we have in the United States.

I think it’s important to not be carrying so many things at once. I carry a purse and lately a backpack when I go to work. I constantly see people looking at their phones when they go anywhere, and looking down. Is someone texting you or whatever more important than your safety? I do wonder sometimes.

Hitting one’s head as you get older can lead to serious problems. Lucky for me when I wiped out on vacation, I was wearing a wig and a hat, and they both protected my head when I fell.

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29 thoughts on “The Art of Falling Down”

Whoops, I’ve already done it “twice”. Fell over, broke my left ankle, a few years ago, then a year later, exactly, on the same day, fell over, broke my right ankle, on both occasions I was playing golf !! 😉

I mastered the art of falling down from an early age. Now if only I can learn how to stop walking into sharp objects….

Joking aside, be careful out there! I hate that people are always on their phones while walking but I am guilty of it myself. However, I always make sure I look up a million times so that I don’t walk into anyone. The number of times I have to stop directly in front of someone so that they see that they’re about to cause a collision is ridiculous. Smartphones have made us not-so-smart.

Shoe traction devices are one option for you. I use Stabil-Icers from LL Bean.Its like an ice pick strapped on my shoe. Since you’re from Wisconsin, I know Lands End is situated there. I don’t know if that company also carries such devices like LL Bean but maybe they do too since they also specialize in winter wear like LL Bean. Take care!

I have fallen so many times over the years: down stairs, up stairs, in the snow, on perfectly dry pavement, out of buses, stepping off curbs, stepping on to curbs, etc.
And at 61, I know my old body won’t take a fall like it used to, so thanks for this!

I am at that age where falling is becoming a concern. I try to keep flexible with stretching every morning and walking/ hiking with a hope to remain mobile as I age. I am not embarassed to hold onto a stair rail as I descend them. One day my daughter spoke to me as I hit a top step in sock feet – I fell and slid down the stairs on my lower back, fortunately not hitting my head. Keith

As a riding instructor, I used to give a lesson every year on ‘falling off’. My students thought I was nuts, but you’re right – it’s so important to know how to fall. ‘breaking’ your fall many times ends up with a broken bone, so going limp and rolling to your side is best. That said, I’ve hit the ground (without a horse’s help) too many times as I’ve gotten older and it is my greatest fear. Your suggestion of a backpack is a good one. I used to use a backpack purse, I think I’ll go back to that. For me, the best way to avoid a fall is to slow down and walk intentionally.